Otter Valley Union Middle and High School

We're excited to invite you to a special "Coffee Talk" with our Superintendent, Rene Sanchez, on Thursday, January 16th from 7:45 am to 9:45 am at Morningside Bakery in Brandon. This is a great opportunity to get to know our leader, ask questions about the budget, and share your thoughts in a relaxed, informal setting. Whether you're a parent or a community member, we welcome you to stop by and join the conversation. To view future Coffee Talks and other RNESU events, visit: https://www.rnesu.org/events

Otter Valley Union High School art students have created a stunning Vermont-inspired mural now on display in downtown Brandon! Featuring a vibrant scene of a trout leaping from a stream, this 4x8 ft. artwork is the result of a collaborative project led by local artist Douglas Lazarus. Stop by the River Pub & Grill at 18 Center St. to admire their incredible talent and celebrate the power of art to bring people together! To learn more about this, check out this article in the Brandon Reporter: https://brandonreporter.com/2024/12/18/student-led-mural-brings-ov-art-classes-together/

Yesterday, The Otterbots won The Most Innovative Project Award at this year’s First LEGO Robotics Southern Vermont Qualifier held at Rutland High School! Thereby qualifying to compete with the rest of the state at The Vermont State First LEGO Robotics Event at the end of January.

We’re thrilled to announce that Otter Valley won their very first Novice Debate Tournament at the Burr and Barton Academy Debate Congratulations to Team McLoughlin-Rivera for an undefeated day! Special congratulations to Brendan McLoughlin, who earned 2nd place overall in individual points, and Jazmin Rivera, who secured 5th place! Way to represent, OV!

VEGGIE VAN GO - CANCELED - Dec. 5th Veggie Van Go Event has been canceled. After careful consideration, the VT Foodbank weather team made the difficult decision to cancel tomorrow's rescheduled VVG. This is never an easy decision, but for the safety of participants, volunteers, and staff the Foodbank has decided it is the best call. Additional resources and local agencies are available if you are in need of assistance accessing food (https://tinyurl.com/mpn4xa5a). For future VVG events, please view the schedule (https://tinyurl.com/mrz85ur9) and plan ahead to pick up your free produce.

VEGGIE VAN GO - THURSDAY, December 5 - 10:00 - 11:00 AM at OVUHS Parking Lot. Drive-thru style FREE produce distribution event open to all students, families and staff affiliated with RNESU. No eligibility requirements or reservations needed. Want to participate but can't make the time? Ask a family member, friend or neighbor to pick up for you and they can pick up for themselves too. View the schedule (https://tinyurl.com/mrz85ur9) and plan ahead to pick up your free produce.

Check out this great article in the Brandon Reporter about Otter Valley Union High School's production of "Mean Girls". Make sure to get your tickets before they sell out! https://brandonreporter.com/2024/11/20/mean-girls-is-coming-to-otter-valley-this-weekend/

VEGGIE VAN GO - Friday, November 22 - 10:00 - 11:00 AM at OVUHS Parking Lot. Drive-thru style FREE produce distribution event open to all students, families and staff affiliated with RNESU. No eligibility requirements or reservations needed. Want to participate but can't make the time? Ask a family member, friend or neighbor to pick up for you and they can pick up for themselves too. View the schedule (https://tinyurl.com/bdfwknf5) and plan ahead to pick up your free produce. Please note the date change for next month's event to December 5, 2024.

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤! This week, we’re celebrating the invaluable role our school psychologists play in supporting our students, families, and staff. From fostering positive mental health and well-being to creating safe and supportive learning environments, their work ensures every student has the opportunity to thrive. Join us in thanking our school psychologists for their hard work, compassion, and commitment to our community!

Good Luck To Our Otters in the Division 3 Football State Championship Today! We are so proud of our players, coaches, and staff who have worked tirelessly to reach the state championship game. Your dedication, sportsmanship, and teamwork are truly inspiring. The entire community is cheering you on, and we can’t wait to see you give it your all on the field!

𝐔𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 We are pleased to announce additional opportunities to connect with Superintendent Rene Sanchez to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about the budget process. We'll be hosting more Coffee Talks this month, and we hope you can join Rene at one of these gatherings. The schedule is as follows: -November 11th at Morningside Bakery in Brandon from 7:45 to 9:45 am -November 13th at Keith’s Country Store in Pittsford from 7:45 to 9:45 am -November 14th at Mae’s Place in Brandon from 7:45 to 9:45 am. This is a chance for informal, open dialogue, and we look forward to hearing from you.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤! Savanna truly embodies the spirit of dedication and leadership at Otter Valley Union High School. As a member of the National Honor Society and a two-year captain of the varsity girls’ soccer team, Savanna leads both on the field and in the classroom. Her four-year commitment to soccer is matched by her active involvement in Up for Learning, student council, and every part of the Otter Valley music program. Beyond school, Savanna continues to share her talents in the community as a member of the Rutland City Band, where she’s performed for the past two summers. We’re so proud of all you’ve achieved, Savanna -- thank you for being an outstanding role model and leader! To learn more about Savanna, you can read the full profile on the Addison Independent's website: https://www.addisonindependent.com/galleries/student-of-the-week-2024-2025/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGXKWlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHf5KB1lECLOYsdmy1r0lD4fieu5D8vIyuLSz4ksogyftwnXYwiE9O5vT-g_aem_033vrXNEj-rKlN2of5OABw#jp-carousel-156718

Otter Valley Union High School recently held their annual egg drop challenge. In this event 7th graders worked in small groups to build a contraption that would prevent an egg from being broken when dropped from a scissor lift. Students collaborated, connected, and used their problem-solving skills to build the best contraptions. At the end, students received awards for the most creative name, the highest drop, and the best demonstration of our PRIDE values. A big shout out to our middle school team who worked hard to put on this amazing event again! #wearernesu #AllMeansAll

Otter Valley Union High School 7th, 8th, and 9th graders enjoyed a great Fall Festival last week. Planned by Foothills and Ms. Larissa's WIN group, students enjoyed: Creepy Croquet, Bowling Boo, Pumpkin Patch Putt, Spooky Sack Races, Pumpkin Painting and many other great activities. Big thank you to everyone for planning this great event, and a special thank you to Happy Valley Orchard in Middlebury for providing apples and cider and Winslow Farms in Pittsford for providing pumpkins. #wearernesu #allmeansall

VSAC GEAR UP is excited to invite 9th and 10th grade families to attend the FREE "Hub of Dreams: Supporting Rutland Families" resource fair taking place on Wednesday, November 20 from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the Rutland Hub CoWorks which is located at 67 Merchants Row in Rutland, Vermont. In collaboration with the Rutland Hub CoWorks, this event is supported by both the McClure Foundation and Rutland County GEAR UP partnership schools. Hub of Dreams will connect families with valuable community resources as well as a few of our county’s employers. We are also offering several workshops designed to support and engage families. The event has limited capacity and reservations will be made through Eventbrite. This event and workshops have limited capacity and we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible so that you do not miss out. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rutland-hub-of-dreams-tickets-1027110955517

Congratulations to recent Otter Valley Student of the week - Sara Loyzelle. Sara is an excellent student at OV and has won numerous awards for excellence in many of her courses. Sara has been a part of Otter Valley's Cross Country and Basketball teams since her freshman year. Last year, Sara was inducted into the National Honor Society. Sara has learned many lessons at OV and credits many of her teachers with helping to inspire her. These lessons have helped Sara to exemplify the values we hold at RNESU and led to her being selected as the student of the week. Congratulations Sara, and keep up the great work! You can read more about Sara and her achievements in the Addison Independent article attached to this post. https://www.addisonindependent.com/galleries/student-of-the-week-2024-2025/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGDXg5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdHUnTqs6PM8iCVSItcEEJ5DRfOqzPZ6hBsq1xpkTBq-xQONiG9Ee-9vyA_aem_tOnzhKqiC_BT28gAIoi0lQ

Some of our dedicated staff recently attended an incredible conference on transformative education! They returned inspired and full of new ideas to enhance and sustain the innovative initiatives we already have in place across the district. We’re excited to keep moving forward with fresh insights and strategies for our students' success. Want to learn more about the conference? Check out the article linked below! https://www.timescall.com/2024/10/23/svvsd-hosts-education-leadership-conference/

VEGGIE VAN GO - Friday, October 25 - 10:00 - 11:00 AM at OVUHS Parking Lot. Drive-thru style FREE produce distribution event open to all students, families and staff affiliated with RNESU. No eligibility requirements or reservations required. Want to participate but can't make the time? Ask a family member, friend or neighbor to pick up for you and they can pick up for themselves too. View the schedule (https://tinyurl.com/bdfwknf5) and plan ahead to pick up your free produce.

Congratulations to Brendan McLoughlin, Otter Valley Union High School's recent Student of the Week in the Addison Independent. Brendan's hard work and dedication to Otter Valley, made him the recent student of the week. From his work as class president, to participating in 14 theater productions at OV over the years, Debate Club, Otter Valley Alliance, Broadcast Club, Jazz Band and the Cross Country Team -- Brendan exemplifies the values that we hold here at RNESU. When not at school or involved in one of his many activities, you can find Brendan working at Hannaford Supermarkets or at Morningside Bakery. Congratulations again, Brendan, and thank you for being a wonderful role model! Keep up the amazing work! #wearernesu #allmeansall To read more about Brendan, and his achievements, please read the attached article.

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐔 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 Sixth grade students are invited to participate in Spirit Night activities and cheer on the 7th and 8th grade fall sports teams at Otter Valley Union High School on Wednesday, October 16th at 3:30 PM. There will be booths for poster making and face painting, and a concession stand for snacks and pizza. The games will begin at 4 PM and will conclude by 6PM.